The present invention relates to substrate storage facility that includes a storage shelf including a plurality of storage sections where a container is stored that vertically holds a plurality of rectangular-shaped substrates aligned at certain intervals, a loading/unloading section for the container, a container transfer device configured so as to travel in a traveling space in front of the storage shelves in the direction of the shelf longitudinal width that transfers the container to the loading/unloading section and the storage section, and a control means that controls operations of the container transfer device, as well as the method for operating the same.
The substrate storage facility described above stores in the storage shelf containers each of which vertically holds a plurality of substrates such as glass substrates used for liquid display devices or plasma display devices, aligned at certain intervals. Also, loading and unloading of the containers are carried out by the container transfer device transferring the containers between the loading/unloading section and the storage sections.
In such substrate storage facility, the container is conventionally formed in a lattice shape so as to be capable of passing outside air through the container, and such substrate storage facility includes a clean air ventilation means that performs ventilation from a ceiling portion to a floor portion of a space where the storage shelves, the loading/unloading section and the container transfer device are provided, and a storage shelf fan filter unit that is provided in the rear side of the storage shelf and performs ventilation from that rear side to the front side, where the container transfer device exists. Then, by ventilating the traveling space from the ceiling side to the floor portion side with the clean air ventilation means, dust caused by the container transfer device is collected on the floor face side so as to make the space provided with the storage shelves, the loading/unloading section and the container transfer device a clean space, and thereby purity of substrates is maintained. Especially, when the container is stored in the storage shelves, as a result of ventilation from the rear side to the front side of the storage shelves by the storage shelf fan filter unit, the inside of the container is ventilated as well, which prevents adhesion of dust to the substrates and entry of dust caused by the container transfer device in the traveling space into the storage section. In this manner, purity of the substrates has been maintained (for example, see JP 2003-081406A).
In the above-described conventional substrate storage facility, provision of a high-performance clean air ventilation means with a high purifying effect has been required so as to make the space provided with the storage shelves, the loading/unloading section and the container transfer device a clean space that is clean enough to maintain purity of the substrates, which increased the cost of equipment. In addition, although high-speed traveling of the container transfer device has been in demand to improve transfer efficiency of substrates, high-speed traveling of the container transfer device significantly disturbs airflow and consequently, dust thereby stirred up from the floor side may enter the storage section and even inside the containers stored in the storage sections, which results in soiling of the substrates.